Electric iron



p 1923- 1,46%81 J. LEWlSKs ET AL ELECTRIC IRON Filed Aug. 29 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR rim Jibozi'ricfi A TTOR/VEVS Sept. 4,- 1923.

J. LEWISKY. ET AL ELECTRIC IRON 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. '29.

6 Lain mun-Au WITNESSES 4 7TOR/VEY8 Patented Sept. 4, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN LEWISKY AND ARTHUR HEDTRICH, OF NEW vYORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC IRON.

Application filed August 29, 1922. Serial No. 584,966.

T 0 all '10 how it may concern Be it known that we, JOHN LEwIsKY and ARTHUR HEn'rnIoH, citizens of the United States, and residents of the city of New York, borough of Queens, Ridgewood. in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Electric Iron, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to an electric iron and mechanism for controlling the heating current therefor, and has for an object the provision of means whereby an electric iron can be mounted on a stand and when disposed thereon in a particular position will receive heating current, but when disposed thereon in a difl'erent position will not receive heating current.

Another object resides in the provision of a stand with which electrical mechanism is associated for automatically turning on and supplying current to the iron when the iron is placed on the stand in a specific position.

A further object resides in the provision of means whereby an electric iron may be heated and used without having long cords of electric wire dangling from the rear of the iron when a person is using it, these cords being often in the way and becoming snarled and broken.

A still further object resides in the particular construction and arrangement of parts which are hereinafter described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings.

The invention is illustrated in the drawings, of which- Figure 1 is a plan View of the iron on its stand in the position in which it is receiving current from a suitable source.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation with the rear portion of the iron and the stand in section showing the means whereby the current is automatically turned on and supplied to the iron when it is disposed in a particular position. I

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a diagram of the circuit used in connection with this device.

The form of the invention shown in the drawings is a preferred form, although it is understood that modifications in the construction and arrangement of the parts and in the character of the materials used may be adopted without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention involves the use of an iron having a body portion 11 constructed in any suitable manner and containing any desired type of heating element. This iron has a handle 12, one leg 13 of which is hollow, and has a rear portion 1.4 curved outwardly and downwardly from the handle 12 and providing a conduit for the heating wires 15. The end of this extension 14 01 the handle is provided with an insulating head or plug portion 16. This plug portion 16 is provided with a conducting strap 17 disposed over the lower end and extending up the sides of the plug on opposite sides thereof. The plug is also provided with two contact strips such as 18 and 19 disposed on opposite sides thereof and connected to the plug by any suitable means such as screws 20. It will be noticed that the strap 17 and the strips 18 and 19 are arranged in planes at right angles to each other on opposite sides of the plug. The strips 18 and 19 are adapted when the plug is disposed in a certain position to engage with terminal strips 21'and 22, shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 3, and the strap 17 is adapted to bridge the circuit between terminal plates 23 and- 24, as shown in Fig. 2.

The iron is adapted to rest on any suitable stand 25 at the rear portion of which a casing 26 is disposed. This casing is provided at its upper end with an apertured insulating plate 27 through which the plug portion 16 of the handle of the iron extends when the iron is disposed on the stand in the particular position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. When the iron is thus disposed, this plug portion projects through the aperture in the plate 27 or in the top of the casing 26 and engages with theterminal strips 21, 22, 23 and 24 in a manner hereinafter to be described, whereby certain electrical connections are automatically made. These terminal plates are mounted on a suitable insulating base 28 supported within the casing at the upper level for the plates to be engaged by the plug on the iron. Beneath this late or base 28 an electromagnet 29 is suita ly mounted and has a core 30 the lower end of which is provided with insulating supporting bridging plates 31 and 3 2, respectively, adapted to bridge the circuit between terminal strips 33, 34, 35 and 36. These strips are mounted on insulating supports 37 and 38 connected to'and within the casing.

The side of the casing is provided with a plug 39 having knife blades 40 adapted to engage in the usual manner with a plug 41 connected by cords 42 to any suitable source of heating current.

Theoperation of this device is as follows:

In placing the iron in position as shown in Figure 1, the lug 16 is projected through the opening in t e rear of the stand. As the plug passes downward the strips 18 and 19 contact with the terminal strips 21 and 22, respectively, before the strap 17 contacts with the terminal strips 23 and 24. Thus the heating element is connected to the strip terminals 34 and 36 before the electromagnet circuit is completed to operate the armature to connect the heating element across the power line. This eliminates the possi bility of arcing between the strips 18 and 19 and the terminal strips 21 and 22, respectively, as the plug is being inserted to position. After the strips 18 and 19 have been pushed into contact with the terminal strips 20 and 21, respectively, the strap 17 contacts with the terminal strips 23 and 24 and the following circuits are established and current flows from the power wire 43, through conductor 44, strip terminal 23, strap 17 strip terminal 24, conductor 45, the winding of the electromagnet 29 back to the line 47. The electromagnet is energized and the armature 30 drawn up, bridging the ga between the terminal strips 33 and 34 an the gap between the terminal strips 35 and 36. Current now flows from the line through terminal strip 33, plate 31, terminal strip 34, conductor 48, terminal strip 22, strip 19, conductor 49, the heating element in the iron, conductor 50, strip 18, terminal strip 21, conductor 51, terminal strip 36, plate 32 and back to the line through the terminal strip 35.

In other words, the first action on the disposal of the iron in this particular position on the stand results in the connecting of the heating element across the terminals 34 and 36. Then the circuit of the electromagnet is completed. The armature of the electromagnet is drawn up, completing the circuit of the heating element. When the iron is removed from the stand the plug 1.6 is withdrawn from the casing and as it is withdrawn the circuit of the electromagnet is first broken, then the armature of the electromagnet drops breaking the circuit of the heating element, next the contact plates connecting the heating element across the terminals34 and 36 are separated. This eliminates the possibility of arcing between the contact strips.

It will thus be seen that the iron when on l out the necessity for having long cumbersome circuit wires and cords in the way of the operator, these wires often becoming snarled and broken. In other words, in operating this iron there are no cords whatsoei er on the iron or any connection with it while being used. Any cords run directly from the power socket to the stand, which remains in a substantially fixed position and generally out of the way, so that there is little likelihood of the cords being engaged to knock the iron or the stand of the iron, as is sometimes the case,

What we claim is 2-- 1. In combination with an electric iron having a heating element therein, a stand for said iron, a casing at the rear of said stand, said casing having an aperture in its upper surface, the handle portion of said iron adapted to project into said casing through the aperture, a switch member on the handle portion, and a switch member within the casing adapted to engage to close a circuit to the heating element when the iron is placed on the stand in a definite position.

2. In combination, an electric iron having a heating element therein, a hollow handle portion extending from said iron and including heating wires, a switch element on the end of said handle portion, a stand for said iron, a casing at the end of said stand having an aperture therein, a switch member within said casing, said handle portion adapted to extend through the aperture, the switch member on the handle adapted to engage the switch member within the casing, a magnet within the casing connected to the switch member therewithin, and power connections controlled by the magnet, said power connections being placed in circuit with the heating element of the iron when the magnet is energized.

JOHN LEWISKY. ARTHUR HEDTRIOH. 

